Replacing MB on Dell 5150 Laptop??

scarymonster · 10-04-2004, 06:18 PM

I just bought a new Dell 5150 laptop about 4 months ago... so in advance, salvaging this laptop is going to be my absolute last option.

About 2 months ago I was on a flight to Asheville, NC. I took my notebook out on the flight and after a while we hit some pretty bad turbulence. To make a long story short, my drink (Coke), and just about every drink on the plane hit the roof and came crashing down. I got Coke all over my laptop... I cleaned it up as fast as I could but it was everywhere.

My laptop booted up at first but the keys were sticking. A little while later, it would get power... but no display. It continued doing this with no improvement. I took it to a PC shop in Asheville and they told me that the motherboard and the keyboard needed to be replaced. They wanted to charge me about $700 to do it... but didn't provide any guarantee that this would solve all the problems. Though they told me that all the other parts seemed to be in working condition. Dell wants to charge me the same price ($700) to send it to them... they will replace the MB, test it, and re-certify it. No guarantees though that I won't need additional parts though.

My question is this. How hard is it to replace the motherboard on these laptops?? And where can I get a Dell 5150 motherboard?? Can I take the video card out of my old one and reuse it?? Are there any guarantees that if the motherboard isn't the main problem that I can return it and salvage what I can??

ANY help or advice would be of great assistance at this point. The airline isn't going to pay for the damages, nor will my insurance. So I'm kind of stuck here.

Thanks in advance.

CTSNKY · 10-04-2004, 06:22 PM

Considering how new it is still to you, my advice would be bite the bullet and send it into Dell. Motherboard replacements on any laptop can be a very tricky thing. Since the price is the same and comes with a guarantee, go with the manufacturer.

I would not advise doing this on your own, but the parts can probably be located.

P.S. If your LCD also got zinged, you may be better off getting a new unit for roughly the same money.

10-04-2004, 06:18 PM	#1 (permalink)
scarymonster Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 2 OS: Windows XP	Replacing MB on Dell 5150 Laptop?? I just bought a new Dell 5150 laptop about 4 months ago... so in advance, salvaging this laptop is going to be my absolute last option. About 2 months ago I was on a flight to Asheville, NC. I took my notebook out on the flight and after a while we hit some pretty bad turbulence. To make a long story short, my drink (Coke), and just about every drink on the plane hit the roof and came crashing down. I got Coke all over my laptop... I cleaned it up as fast as I could but it was everywhere. My laptop booted up at first but the keys were sticking. A little while later, it would get power... but no display. It continued doing this with no improvement. I took it to a PC shop in Asheville and they told me that the motherboard and the keyboard needed to be replaced. They wanted to charge me about $700 to do it... but didn't provide any guarantee that this would solve all the problems. Though they told me that all the other parts seemed to be in working condition. Dell wants to charge me the same price ($700) to send it to them... they will replace the MB, test it, and re-certify it. No guarantees though that I won't need additional parts though. My question is this. How hard is it to replace the motherboard on these laptops?? And where can I get a Dell 5150 motherboard?? Can I take the video card out of my old one and reuse it?? Are there any guarantees that if the motherboard isn't the main problem that I can return it and salvage what I can?? ANY help or advice would be of great assistance at this point. The airline isn't going to pay for the damages, nor will my insurance. So I'm kind of stuck here. Thanks in advance.

10-04-2004, 06:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
CTSNKY Knower of all that is MS Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 10,755 OS: (multiple machines) 95, 98, 2K & XP Home & Pro	Considering how new it is still to you, my advice would be bite the bullet and send it into Dell. Motherboard replacements on any laptop can be a very tricky thing. Since the price is the same and comes with a guarantee, go with the manufacturer. I would not advise doing this on your own, but the parts can probably be located. P.S. If your LCD also got zinged, you may be better off getting a new unit for roughly the same money. Last edited by CTSNKY; 10-04-2004 at 06:23 PM.